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Best and Worst Off Seasons of Knicks in past 20yrs

First the Worst

1.2000

Key Move: Ewing is traded to Seatle in a 3 team trade that brings us Glen Rice and Luc Longley

The question kept getting asked "were The Knicks better w/out Ewing" and we would find out. First game that season Theo Ratlif bullied his way inside against our skinny frontline (Luc Longley was injured opening night) which served as a symbol for our future without Patrick

Outcome:
Glen Rice would last just one season and Luc Longley less than that! The ultimate return of the trade was Howard Eisley Shandon Anderson and enough cap to sign Clarence Weatherspoon.

So began our playoff drought and fall from Grace

2.2004
Key Acqusitions:Jerome James & Eddy Curry
Classic Isiah here baby! Isiah gets gassed off a 12 pt 6 reb showing by Jermome James against a Center-less Kings team and hurt Tim Duncan and signs Jerome Jordan to a full MLE deal. This would have been considered an instant epic fail if Isiah had not brought in Larry Brown to coach which filled the Garden w/ Optimism beyond belief.

Then takes what he feels is a calculated risk by dealing 2 lottery picks for Eddy Curry (one being a number 2 pick, the highest since Ewing's draft).

Outcome: Curry had a season when he flirted w the All Star team, but never came close to that ever again and you can't help but wonder if his contract was not on the books what Donnie Walsh would have been able to do.

Jerome James became a staple of the bench, was an eye sore for Knicks fans and never came to camp in shape once (even the season after his new contract).

3.2005Key Acqusition: Jared Jefferies

Isiah was on a roll! This move was to sign a player who was supposed to be a lock down perimeter defender for us at the SF position while being a vocal leader in the locker room as Isiah considered him "someone who could balance the plane ride". Isiah gives his own version of a "poison pill" contract which makes Jefferies untradable and as a result we did not have a pick in this past draft (seven years later) just to get rid of the contract.

End Results

Jared Jefferies got injured in a preseason game, and when he did play looked worst on offensive than expected (and the expectaions were pretty low). The next season Isiah trades for Zach Randolph and Jared Jefferies goes from the glue to the team to glued to the bench!!! Best moment was his tough guy moment trying to rush Carmelo Anthony!

No need for a big splash, The Knicks just needed to build around a pretty impressive core of players in Melo,Stat and Chandler. They did so by adding defensive minded players which will quickly wash the taste of Dantoni ball out of the mouths of fans. No more 110-112 games, probably will see the return to mid to lo 80 games with more post and fewere 3's.

Letting Lin go will be the debate for the next 3 years, but the Knicks Front Office stayed focus and made moves that maybe helped fans see a vision that they have for our team. Side note: I'm a huge Felton supporterOutcome:TBD

This summer signified the end of the worst era of Knicks basketball ever! After losing out on Lebron James and DWade The Knicks and players like Dirk deciding to stay home with their current rosters The Knicks took the best player on the market...and that player turned out to be just what we needed, simply a new ray of hope about the direction of our franchise.

Donnie also brought in some young talent w/ short contracts that allowed for flexability down the road.

Feilds was considered a top 3 rookie after being drafted mid Second Round.

Result: Stat was an All Star Game starter. Felton flirted heavily with becoming an All Star and Stat was All NBA. Feilds was All NBA Rookie.
Now Mozgov,Felton and Randolph were alll ultimatley dealt for Melo, but nonetheless made up a core of solid additions that off season.

2.1996

Key Acqusitoins: Larry Johnson,Allan Houston, Chris Childs.

This is close to number 1, this is the biggest influx of talent Ewing had ever seen! LJ served as another bonafied All Star on the roster who would take a lot of the scoring pressure of Ewing, Houston would be that consistient shooter (love Starks but he defined streak shooter) that The Knicks had needed for years.

This could have been the best off season ever...but we could have signed Tim Hardaway instead of Childs! This would have no doubt brought a title to Pat (even w The Bulls in the midst of their second 3peat

Hardaway
Houston
LJ
Oak
Ewing

That's 3-4 NBA Hall of Famers!

End result: Knicks did not fade into mediocrity, but stayed relavent in a time when The Bulls were running through teams and we would be the only team to beat them each of the 3 years they won a title and one of the only teams to beat them twice in a season! Just imagine if we had Tim Hardaway!

1.1999

Key Acqusitons:Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby

The loss of Oakley and Starks really hurt a lot of fans, especially considering the slow start of both Spree and Camby...but come playoff time these were our 2 best players! Spree defended and finished like Starks 3 years prior and Camby rebounded and blocked at a pace that soon had me (Oak's biggest fan) extremely satisfied. The Knicks got two players in their prime for 2 a little past it!

High Risk High Reward move on both trades that played out for the better!

Results:Instant return to The Finals! First Number 8 to knock off a number 1. And Championship Contender for the next 2 seasons! Added to one the most talented and deepest teams in Knick history.

You're bringing in a bunch of 40 year olds and you let your franchise point walk for nothing in return.

You brought in Kidd to mentor Young Jeremy Lin, but then you let Lin walk and Kidd started drinking.

CambyMan will swat shots, but you have to wonder if he came here to die.

I heard something about us picking up Ronny Brewer, I guess that's cool.

Franchise point guard??? That is one the most asinine asiten asi-11,12,13 statememts that tranferred fr this page through my eyes and into my head.he was the PG of the future but franchise pointguard? We have few franchise players and he wasn't one of them

Franchise point guard??? That is one the most asinine asiten asi-11,12,13 statememts that tranferred fr this page through my eyes and into my head.he was the PG of the future but franchise pointguard? We have few franchise players and he wasn't one of them

I agree that 1999 was the best, because Spree was a baller.

Franchise point in the sense that the guy could have stayed here for the next 10 years. When was the last time we had a 10-year point guard?

The 2010 Amar'e offseason was decent but at the time I was not agreeing with this signing, it was a cheap imitation of a Superstar.

You're bringing in a bunch of 40 year olds and you let your franchise point walk for nothing in return.

You brought in Kidd to mentor Young Jeremy Lin, but then you let Lin walk and Kidd started drinking.

CambyMan will swat shots, but you have to wonder if he came here to die.

I heard something about us picking up Ronny Brewer, I guess that's cool.

Interesting, thats why sports are great, I see it as solid you see it as horrible!

What are the realistic moves you think The Knicks couldve made this offseason then? Just out of curiosity. Not mocking, truly just curious.

Here's why I love the state of our team

If this time last year if we were told we would be able to have added Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton Ronnie Brewer and Marcus Camby to play along with Melo and Amare we wouldve all been doing back flips. And we wouldve doubted it to be possible, yet here we are!

I get the concern with age, but at this point in their careers Camby and Kidd are not starters just backups, but can you name me a better backup PG or Center?

Again there was no need to make a huge splash. There were a lot of high profile moves this off season, but our moves were smart with minimal risk.

Raymond Felton is our biggest gamble, but is it really that much more riskier than signing Lin to a 25 million dollar deal? In my opinion Lin is more of a risk (another time another thread I suppose).

The Lakers signed a 40 year Future Hall of Fame PG for like 16 million to be there PG for the immediate future, we signed one for 9 to mentor and add leadership. Who made the smarter move?

Mia. blew all their money on Ray Allen when Marcus Camby was available for the same price. They have a starting SG already and a shooter like Mike Miller and Shane Battier to spread the floor, but what they do not have is a reliable Center, Joel Anthony is sevicable at best.

Toronto signed Feilds for 20 million (an offer we declined to match) and brought in a better version of him for 1 million dollars!

The Knicks made under the radar moves as far as anyone outside our fan base can see, but we are deep as heck, and our defense looks 90's good again.

We didn't bring in a high profile coach, just a good one.

This is the type of offseason teams looking to win Championships have not like a put us on the map kinda off season like Brooklyn had or we have had in years past!

I try to black out this past decade in the NBA but I can tell you one of our worst moves was passing over Rondo for Renaldo Balkman in the 2006 draft. (another Isiah classic) But then again, who knows if Rondo would have been Rondo under Isiah.

Losing Ewing was killer as was the Zeke age.

I don't like putting this season up there because we really don't know what will happen (good or bad). Based on the our acquisitions this year and the work that our players have supposedly put in, I say we have a decent roster. Whether we can learn to play together will be determined. So I don't want to rank this season as it hasn't been set in stone yet.

Im happy because this offseason we legitimately patched most of our holes and didn't go for a home run. Say what you like about letting Lin go OB but Felton is still a better fit here. I can sort of see why people are putting question marks over Felton, but anyone with reason and logic can see he will play much better. The instalment of 3 pass first PG's ensures our ball movement won't be stagnant and our scorers will get the ball.

With Camby we got the best back up Center in the league who is still starter quality of some teams and will ensure our defensive tenacity is there at all times. Also gives us more versatility against bigger teams.

Brewer will be another quality role player who patches the gap left by Shumpert till he returns. And upon his return gives us another defensive weapon against the better SG/SF's around the league.

Copeland & White probably won't make all that much impact but do give us some athletic options and some youth projects.

Still a slight hole at back up PF but other than that every position is at least 2 quality players deep.

Im happy because this offseason we legitimately patched most of our holes and didn't go for a home run. Say what you like about letting Lin go OB but Felton is still a better fit here. I can sort of see why people are putting question marks over Felton, but anyone with reason and logic can see he will play much better. The instalment of 3 pass first PG's ensures our ball movement won't be stagnant and our scorers will get the ball.

With Camby we got the best back up Center in the league who is still starter quality of some teams and will ensure our defensive tenacity is there at all times. Also gives us more versatility against bigger teams.

Brewer will be another quality role player who patches the gap left by Shumpert till he returns. And upon his return gives us another defensive weapon against the better SG/SF's around the league.

Copeland & White probably won't make all that much impact but do give us some athletic options and some youth projects.

Still a slight hole at back up PF but other than that every position is at least 2 quality players deep.

I see Novak as our backup 4 as well as Melo being able to play some and of course that twin towers lineup of Camby and Chandler we hope to utilize from time to time.

I do see what you mean tho.

Hey Chris Anderson and Jermaine Oneal are both still in play. And even Renaldo Balkman.